Monday
Jan262009
Guest Post:After President Obama Closes Guantanamo Bay, Can He Shut Down Gangsta Rap too?
Monday, January 26, 2009 at 7:12AM The Blogmother The following is a guest post sunbmitted by WAOD reader Kwhyte. The WAOD benevolent dictator added the video.Read her whole post before you comment on the title. She answers her own question.
Watching President Obama and First Lady Michelle dance their first official dance to Beyonce’s cover of Etta James’ “At Last”, at the Neighborhood Ball, I was so overcome with emotion that I actually wept. However, soon after Jay-Z took the stage, I cringed. You know that collective cringe many black people feel anytime they hear gangsta rap songs chock full of sexual, criminal, and misogynistic references? It’s that cringe you feel when you hear anyone, especially a black person use the N word as if it doesn’t carry the pain and oppression of an entire race of people.
When I saw Jay-Z take the stage, I naively thought that he would have written a G rated rap song about the Obamas who represent the best of all of us. I imagined a rap song that would have extolled the virtues of education, hard work, and an unyielding love of family and country. I foolishly allowed myself to get a bit excited, thinking that I would finally be able to dance to a mainstream rap song that portrayed blacks in their most favorable light. But, by the time I heard the second verse of Jay Z’s “History”, my shoulders sank as I listened to the lyrics. Here is a sample from verse 2:
So now I’m flirting with death, hustling like a G
While victory wasn’t watching took chances repeatedly
As a teenage boy before acne, before I got proactiv I couldn’t face she
I just threw on my hoodie and headed to the street
That’s where I met success, we’d live together shortly
Now success is like lust, she’s good to the touch
As I quickly came to grips with the fact that on the day the first Black man was inaugurated as the President of the United States of America (POTUS), the day our ancestors probably never imagined possible, the day the world saw the very best of us, the day the world saw that America truly is the country that any minority can dream of the stars and actually touch the sky, I became offended and incredibly disappointed. How could you Jay-Z? How could you compare victory to a woman you are lusting after? How could the words death and G come out of your mouth on a day like that? How could you rap about hustling on the street on such a magical day? How could you reinforce those ugly stereotypes about black men that President Obama is the complete antithesis of?
And more unanswered questions swirled through my mind. Was there no publicist, manager, friend, confidant, hangers on, or family member in either Jay Z’s or Beyonce’s circle who asked, “Does anyone think this is an appropriate song choice?”. “Do we think POTUS and his First Lady would approve of this song?”. “Would they let Sasha and Malia watch Jay Z’s performance?” “Is this what the planet Earth needs to see and hear when Barack and Michelle Obama have shattered every negative generalization and stereotype about black men and women?” Did absolutely no bells go off prior to his going on stage?
So, just when you think it cannot possibly get worse, my cringe turned to absolute horror when I turned to Fox News to watch “The O’Reilly Factor”. And what do I see? A video http://vodpod.com/watch/1303201-video-bill-o%E2%80%99reilly-vs-jay-z-young-jeezy from a club appearance in Washington DC during Inaugural weekend where both Young Jeezy and Jay-Z are spewing the most vulgar and profane words about former President Bush. I am no fan of Dubya, but even he deserves the utmost respect in public as our former Commander in Chief.
Here are two of the most offending lines that came out of Young Jeezy’s pottymouth:
I wanna thank the motherf*&%#r overseas that threw shoes at George Bush…Keep it movin’ b*&%h, because my president is motherf*&%#g black, n***er!!
And not to be outdone, Jay Z chimes in:
“You can keep your p*$$y, I don’t want no more Bush… No more white lies, my president is black!!”
So, as my shock and awe waned and I finally fell asleep, I dreamt of President Obama taking the podium and announcing that he is shutting down one house of horrors (Guantanamo) and for good measure banning another one (gangsta rap). But, when I woke up, I reminded myself that two wars, a sinking economy, record unemployment, a housing crisis, global warming, and the Middle East will surely take precedence over the scourge we know as gangsta rap. Because gangsta rap isn’t President Obama’s problem, it’s ours.
kwhyte1 blogs at Kell's Blog.
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Reader Comments (25)
If I'm not mistaken, the POTUS selected Jay Z to perform at the IB. I believe he called Jay Z one of his favorite rappers. He even censored the original performance Jay Z had planned - claimed it was too pro-Hamas. I can't wait to see the "best of all of us" in action over the next four years!
As much as hate so called gangsta rappers they do have freedom of speech. What I want to know is how has their exposure in the media continues to dominate although their sales are low? T Pain and Souljah Boy latests albums have basically flopped, Jay Z tries to hop on ever remix but no one cares to hear him. Even the DJs on the radio make fun of how bad the music is, but their music is still getting played, who are the gate keepers? Rappers are the "pop" stars now I guess so now they have the support of the mainstream and that is no only black folks
That's a plan I could get behind 100%.
I wrote a scenario of my first 100 days as President (a commentary that I never posted).... and it involved shutting down BET...raiding their offices, arresting Debra Lee & her assistants ...lol... and ending the distribution of Rap altogether. I would then start a campaign of arresting rappers...starting with the worst offenders.
And BTW...your real President is apparently a fan of this nonsense...as someone mentioned. He loves Jay Z and Ludacris.
***Damn shame IMO. That's why I can't get too excited about a Black President or a Black anything anymore.... because I usually find myself not fully identifying with them for one reason or another. Obama is no different.
I'd much rather have a White, Asian or Hispanic President who shares my values...than a Black President... don't get me wrong... It feels good to have Obama as POTUS.... but having brown skin isn't really enough.
I don't know why anyone is surprised by Jay-Z and Li'l Weezy's (or whatever his name is) song lyrics. Once a gangsta rapper, always a gangsta rappa. I wouldn't have expected anything more.
But the author is right, that music is not Obama's problem but ALL of our problems! Because as much as we complain about it, people will still buy the CDs and download the songs to their iPods.
And as far as the insults on Bush go....it was beyond disgusting and one of the many reasons why society looks down on black rap 'artists'.
Putting people in prison for what they say...that's a very slippery slope you're trying to climb Angry Indy. We're talking fascist. We start doing things like this then you'll open up the door for people to shut YOU down for some remark they deem offensive.
Well, we know Gangsta Rappers aren't going to Police themselves, and folks that buy this garbage aren't going to stop listening, so there's always going to be a market. What to do?
Hit 'em in the pocket! Dr. King's boycot stradegy worked wonders in the civil rights movement. They could only stop it by killing him. Trust me, there is not one filthy gangsta rapper that would be in the place they are without promotions, sales and marketing. FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL!
Naima, took the words right out of my mouth. I am not fond of a lot of music today, that includes much of "gangsta rap" but I feel it has a place in existence like any other form of "creativity", I may not agree with or like.
I can slam it, but to say eradicate it ... is kinda ridiculous. What is needed is balance. That's the real issue, there's not enough balance ... it's mostly trash being pumped through the airwaves.
Oh and I would like to add ... who in the hell with half a brain cell is listening to what this fool lil' Wayne is saying?!
I am still befuddled as to why the organizers of the youth ball thought it was appropriate for Jay Z and lil' Wayne to perform in front of that audience and the President.
Pure silliness and lack of commonsense.
What will "shutting down" gangsta rap do? Will it stop teenage pregnancies? Will it stop people from getting stds? Is it gonna fix the education system? Will it stop people from killing each other? The only reason people attack hip hop is because they are too much of a coward to go in the hoods and fix the real problems. The problem is the crimes and attitudes that are the inspiration for gangsta rap, not the music itself. I looked around my community and saw drug dealers, out of control teens, high drop out rates. Instead of a blaming hip hop i started working on a plan to fix the root of the problems, and I'm getting an education so I have skills necessary to back into my hood help people. If more people did the same, gangsta rap would wither way on its own because there would be nothing "gangsta" to rap about.
Justme,
It's all tongue-in-cheek. I'm aware of everything you stated... I believe in the rule of law... (I'd just have the laws written accordingly, lol). But really... the post just reflects the frustration with this industry and culture.
An argument could be made (although a stretch) that Debra Lee has repeatedly violated federal obscenity laws in the past.... violated FCC regulations, etc.
But if I were President... i'd do my damndest to shut down the BET's of the Country & as well as the gangster rappers..... drive em out of business, etc... within the current confines of the law. I'd just put them under a lot more scrutiny. I'd create such a Hell on earth for them... that they would have a hard time operating...and they'd eventually be forced to go out of business. lol I would be extremely creative. I would put an FBI unit together specifically for this... to cure this cancer. COINTELPRO? So what. At least it would be done this time in the best interest of Black people.
Maybe its the fact that I'm of the Hip Hop generation, that I understand the metaphor used by Jay Z in the 2nd verse posted above. He's not lusting for a woman in that verse. What he's "lusting" for is success, or essentially a change of circumstances from which he doesn't have to "take chances" in the streets "hustlin like a G".
Hip Hop is the least of our problems, and I think its pretty sad that we make it out to be the scourge of our existance as Black people. Lets not forget that if were not for the heavy youth turnout and vote, Obama may not be where he is. Having said that I'll ask: What do you think these youngsters are listening to?
Frankly, I believe CD sells are already dismal thanks to the neighborhood bootleg man and the independent gangsta rappers shopping this mess in parking lots.
I have to disagree with one thing. While it was pretty cheesy and a little embarassing, I have not a problem with anything they said about Bush in that video. Nothing. People say we owe him respect? For what? What has bush done to earn it? Be the man behind the deaths/murders of thousands of US soldiers and civilians? Is that respectful? Be the president that let this country go to hell on his watch while actively taking part in its self-immolation? Sorry, but I don't care if yt fols like O'Reilly think ill of what they said, it was real. I only wish they had said it sooner. I had to serve my country under that bastard. If you think he deserves respect, maybe you should walk in a vets' shoes.
He is a liar, a vile bastard who should have never been born, a warmonger and a buffoon. He deserves nothing but bad karma for what he's done.
I don't care about Bush, I was mad that they had a song called My President is Black and was say n-this and n-that. Someone call Desiree Rogers if they know her and tell her don't invite these people to the White House, Fox News will have a field day
Oh I'm not a fan of that song either. Cause lord knows if anyone else had done it, it would've been a wrap.
I'm with Rippa, Jay isn't actually talking about the lust of a woman; he's talking about his desire for success that he was looking for as a "G" hustling in the streets, when the thing he should have been striving for is victory. Success in the streets is what, making a couple of dollars? Buying a car? That doesn't make you victorious. Anyone can obtain those things. It wasn't meant to be an ode to Obama or inauguration day. It's a Jay Z song about Jay Z's life. No more irrelevant than Maroon 5 singing This Love. Plus, I doubt he hit the stage without someone approving the lyrics.
I'm not a big fan of Jays but I really don't like Young Jeezy. I wasn't the least bit surprised that Fox News reported that story. The fact that they had to find a clip from a club performance in the wee hours of the night is laughable, imo. Who the heck even buys Young Jeezy's music? Dude was no more relevant last weekend than the average person strolling the mall, taking in the sites. If they wanted an intelligent response to why folks are ready to see Bush leave office, they could've found one.
They can all die in a fiery plane crash for all I care.
If these rappers are just reflecting their daily "realities" and just speaking from the "hood" then would they be open to black women rapping about sexual abuse, street harassment, colorism, bullying, etc?
Would they "support a sista" who is calling them out for all the horrible things they do to blak women and children in "the hood". Would a black woman rapping about the evils of the ghetto be as popular as a black woman shaking her ass and gyrating like her life depended on it?
Didn't think so.
So as far as I am concerned these losers deserve all the criticism they are getting. This music is parasitic and dangerous and I am tired of people just dismissing THAt because it's "REAL TALK".
And to the person who said more people need to fix their communties before they criticize hip-hop, been there done that. Nearly all of us vocal rap critics actually work in the community. At least all the ones I know. Of ocurse there are people just sitting at a computer bitching but that is not the majority of us. Many of us see what this music does to the self image of black girls in particular. We see how the young black boys who could just as easliy be conditioned to listen to REAL BLACK MUSIC by Miles Davis or Sonny Rollins are just fed this crap like oreo cookies. There are other options of "black music" for young people to explore and as a "community" we should be pushing THOSE. Not trying to make excuses for a bunch of damaged black men acting out their fantasies in a booth.
Hollywood Blackout said "They can all die in a fiery plane crash for all I care. "
We gon' pray for you. Let us know where to send your care packages when the agents come to get you.
@Seattle Slim
So, are people free to attack Obama personally because they didn't support him and don't like his policies?
I'm just noting the slippery slope of your argument.
I have to agree with my man RIPPA - rap is like those old nasty ass Red Foxx records you know your parents had stashed behind the James Cleveland album they knew you would never touch.
They never played them when their friends were over until you went to bed.
The elevation of strip club music to something that is played in public is a part of the problem.
The last rap album I played with the windows down was Eric B. & Rakim - now that I think about it, that may have been one of the last rap albums I ever bought outside of The Chronic.
At my house, we were talking about that the other day when we got on the topic of concerts. I asserted that a lot of the time, back when you could see Run DMC for $5 at your local armory, you really couldn't understand what the rappers were saying, but since you knew the words, it didn't really matter.
I don't know the words to any rap song that came out this year other than "Apple Bottom Jeans" and that may not even be considered a rap song.
"Sheila," I said, "speaking of not understanding what they were saying - what the hell was Jay-Z saying the other night at that ball?"
She started laughing. "You didn't understand what he was saying either?"
"I got the singsong tempo, and a couple of words here and there, but - no."
Even now, I can sing the entire 15 minute version of Rappers Delight - if Dougie Fresh's "Six Minutes" hits the radio, I almost levitate out of the car.
Rap went wrong when the music execs figured out how to sell the image of rappers as gorillas to white suburban teens - because when I was going up, there were only three rappers at a time who made any money, and none of them were rich, not even Run DMC.
Nobody aspired to be a full time rapper back then unless they were prepared to be broke - now everybody is "working on my music" here in the ATL, even though they can't spell "royalties", and have absolutely no understanding of the phrase "all rights in perpetuity".
Rap is on a downward trend. All fads eventually fade out.
We shall see.
This is my first time posting a comment but I've been reading this blog for several months.
This story is embarrassing to say the least. I usually don't care when celebrities and entertainers make stupid comments about politics, but Jay and Jeezy's comments were a different kind of stupid. The kind of stupidity that warrants attention and harsh scrutiny, even if it has to come from Fox News.
I wish it was within the presidents powers to shut down "gangsta rap", along with the companies that continue to promote it. Sadly it isn't.
The good news is that rap music as we know it is going the way of the dinosaur anyway. I give it another 3 to 5 years before it dissappears from the mainstream completely.
In the mean time I'll heed Barack's advice by turning off the TV.
@Fred, you're are on point. If someone had said the same thing about Obama all hell would've broke loose. There is a respectable to disagree about someone's policy and beliefs. I recently read about all the money Bush gave to Africa to help fight AIDs, malaria and to give African women a chance to get educated. We are so caught up in this partisan hate and dislike we can't behave like human beings. What if some white boy threw a shoe at Obama or your mama? Democrat or Republican this is horrible behavior.
Fred, there is no slippery slope. If after FOUR years, hell even eight because these folks love pain, then I'd be right with them saying the same thing. Seeing as how he JUST go into office, there's nothing for me to say, now is there?
It is what IT IS, whether YOU like it or not. He is what HE is whether you like it or not.
Miss Issues,
Where have you been????? They've been saying the same thing and worse. Just get on any newspaper in any comments section and see some of the lovely things people are saying just 7 days into the guy's job.
I know you guys are playing hard, but all I'm hearing is the world's tiniest violin...
It IS what IT IS. Get over it! Just like most of us had to get over it back in 2004 and 2001, so will you.
If you want to be offended at something, go to Pennlive and see the comments under the Chuck E. Cheese fight. Go fight them instead of attacking me or anyone for their views of an UNPOPULAR ex-ruler. He is UNpopular for a reason. Note I said UNpopular not popular.
I would like nothing better than for Pres Obama to use his power to unleash the U.S. military machine on the anti-Black female elements that plague us! "Operation honoring Michelle, Sasha, & Malia" has a rather nice ring to it!
As for Bush, I agree with Miss issues. He has my utmost respect for trying to help girls in Africa, and appointing Condi as National Security Advisor then Sec Of State. That is A LOT more than certain individuals who should KNOW better and who should be be the FIRST IN LINE to help Black females are doing.